Aqaba: the seaside gateway to Petra

Jordan's only access to the sea, Aqaba combines a well-preserved coral reef with its role as the most convenient gateway to reaching Petra.

The centre is explored on foot; Petra and Wadi Rum require a car.

The Fort of Aqaba, of Mamluk origin and made famous by the assault led by Lawrence of Arabia in 1917, still dominates the city waterfront today.

A short walk away, the protected waters of the Aqaba Marine Park host a coral reef among the best-preserved in the Red Sea, with artificial wrecks used for diving.

In the afternoon it is best to reach Wadi Rum, a desert of red rock where scenes from 'Lawrence of Arabia' and science fiction films set on Mars were filmed.

In the evening, from Aqaba's waterfront one observes simultaneously the coasts of Jordan, Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia facing the same gulf.

The assault on Aqaba led by Lawrence of Arabia and Arab troops in 1917 surprised the Ottoman army by attacking from land, from the desert, rather than from the sea where all the defensive cannons were aimed.

Wadi Rum, for its Martian landscape of red rocks and dunes, has been used as a film set for several movies set on Mars, including 'The Martian' with Matt Damon.